Shen Ling'er was startled awake by the sudden sound of rain. She turned her head to look at Gu Moran and gave a mischievous smile.
Uncle Fu stood guard outside the door all night.
Outside the courtyard, raindrops pattered on the lotus leaves in the pond, making a soft, rhythmic sound, and the flower buds looked especially vibrant in the rain.
It wasn't until late in the morning that Shen Ling'er returned to Green Vine Courtyard, rubbing her back and carrying her medicine box.
Before leaving, she left the packet of bitter melon on Gu Moran's desk.
There was also a line of small print pressed on the paper.
My husband, you mustn't lie to me.
Gu Moran stared at the line of words for a moment, then raised his hand to press his temples.
When Uncle Fu entered, he saw the note and smiled.
" Madam Shen is intelligent; it's not easy to hide it from her."
Gu Moran put the Coptis chinensis into the drawer.
"That's troublesome."
Uncle Fu whispered:
But Madam Shen didn't make a scene last night.
Gu Moran picked up the map of the south of the city and pressed her fingertip against the Shun'an Lane.
"She's sensible."
Uncle Fu lowered his head and chuckled again.
Gu Moran tapped the table with her finger.
"Let's get down to business."
Uncle Fu immediately stopped laughing.
"What are your orders, Your Highness?"
"Place more staff around the free clinic tent in the morning."
"If anyone from the Crown Prince's Residence or the Second Prince's Residence gets close, let them see you."
Uncle Fu looked up.
"Saw Chu Tianxing?"
I saw a poor doctor.
Uncle Fu thought for a moment.
"What if they try to win them over?"
Gu Moran turned the small picture towards him.
" The Crown Prince's Residence will suspect his origins are unclear and will investigate him first."
" The Second Prince's Residence prefers to take on frustrated talents; he might not immediately take a liking to a gossipy doctor like Chu Tianxing."
Uncle Fu answered very quickly.
"But Chu Tianxing will see Ye Qingyun first."
"Right."
Gu Moran's fingertip stopped beside Shun'an Lane.
" Ye Qingyun's left arm is numb, and he won't admit it himself."
" Liu Laosan tried to persuade him, but he thought the soldiers were too rough."
Sun Kui advised him against it, but he felt the other party was dominating him.
Uncle Fu looked at the map without saying a word.
Gu Moran continued:
"What if a glib-tongued doctor said in the street that he practiced it wrong?"
The only sound inside was the rain.
After a moment, Uncle Fu said:
" Ye Qingyun will be annoyed."
" Chu Tianxing won't tolerate it either."
What if these two start fighting?
Gu Moran carefully put the drawing away.
"That would be amazing."
One refuses to admit to being sick, while the other insists on talking about it.
Ye Qingyun wants a good reputation.
" Chu Tianxing new here, so he needs to be even more careful."
"Whoever backs down first will lose face."
Uncle Fu whispered:
"Your Highness, is this what you meant by 'dogs fighting'?"
Gu Moran looked out the window.
" Uncle Fu, please speak more politely."
What's that called?
"Talented men fight each other."
Uncle Fu's lamp swayed.
The next morning, a wooden sign appeared outside the free clinic tent in the south of the city.
The lettering on the wooden sign was crooked, but it was very eye-catching.
[Trainee on duty.]
[Consultation fees are set by the individual; those with limited funds can have their bills recorded.]
[Three people have recovered; they will be given meat with every meal and may stay in the small hut behind the shed.]
Chu Tianxing stood in front of the wooden sign, holding a medicine box in his arms, his hair disheveled by the wind blowing in the backyard of the charity hall.
He stared at the words "add meat" for a long time.
The man selling steamed buns nearby shouted:
"Young doctor, did you see the meat? Aren't you going to sit down and see patients?"
Chu Tianxing straightened his back.
"This legendary healer roams the land; why would I sit down for a bowl of meat?"
No sooner had I finished speaking than my stomach growled.
The man selling steamed buns was delighted.
Chu Tianxing turned and glared at him.
What do you know?
"This is the sound of my spleen and stomach beating, indicating that my Qi and blood are flowing smoothly."
Inside the shed, a child was clutching his stomach and groaning.
The child's mother was so anxious that sweat beaded on her forehead.
"Is the doctor here?"
Chu Tianxing didn't move.
The words "meals included" on the wooden sign are still echoing in my mind.
Save lives, and there will be meat.
I won't help; I'll continue washing the medicine pots in the backyard.
I have seven coins left in my pocket.
Seven coins couldn't buy meat, and even getting hot soup depended on the shopkeeper's attitude.
He gritted his teeth, picked up his medicine box, and went into the shed.
"Stop shouting, it'll hurt your lungs if you shout for too long."
"Patient, come here."
The mother quickly carried the child to the table.
Chu Tianxing sat down, felt the pulse, examined the tongue coating, and then pressed on the child's abdomen.
The child winced in pain, pulling his leg back.
Chu Tianxing released his grip.
"Eating too much bitter melon and then drinking well water."
The child's mother nodded quickly.
"Yes, yes, I secretly ate half of it last night."
Chu Tianxing opened the medicine box, his hand pausing on the medicine packet.
The medicine is running low.
But the child's forehead was sweaty, and the abdominal pain couldn't be ignored.
He took half a pinch of the antidiarrheal powder and asked the shop assistant in the shed to mix it with warm water.
"Sit down for a while after you finish drinking, and don't feed you anything cold."
The child's mother asked:
"How much?"
Chu Tianxing raised five fingers.
Five coins.
The child's mother took out five copper coins and placed them in his palm.
The copper coin was still warm.
Chu Tianxing glanced at the money, then at the meat porridge bucket in the corner of the shed.
"Do doctors here really provide meals?"
The waiter brought over a bowl of meat porridge.
"Tube."
"The doctors who are on duty eat first."
Chu Tianxing took the bowl, smelled the aroma of minced meat, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
There are still good people in the capital.
The waiter laughed:
"Please take your time, young doctor."
Chu Tianxing took a sip, his lips burning red from the heat, but he still forced himself to nod.
"The cooking time was just okay, the rice was alright, but there wasn't enough meat."
Outside the shed, Zhao Si, dressed in old cloth clothes, squatted beside the vegetable stall, head down peeling garlic.
A servant passed by him from behind and whispered:
"I've sat down."
Zhao Si didn't look up.
"Watch, don't be alarmed."
Half an hour later, Chu Tianxing had seen five patients.
Two people had diarrhea.
A twist of the waist.
A cold.
Another person said they felt tightness in their chest.
He prescribed medicine for the first four patients.
Upon seeing the fifth person, he raised his hand and shooed them away.
"Your chest tightness is because you secretly ate three steamed buns from the stall next door and choked."
The man still tried to argue.
Chu Tianxing sneered.
"This divine doctor has very sharp eyes."
"Pay back the money first, then try to heal your conscience."
The crowd burst into laughter.
The pancake stall owner rushed over and grabbed the person.
Chu Tianxing sat very steadily.
"Next."
Suddenly someone shouted from outside the shed.
" The Dragon Abyss Martial Arts School Tournament has begun, Talented Scholar Ye is here again!"
The crowd surged towards the street corner, and the sick person ran after them.
Chu Tianxing hadn't originally planned to watch the show.
But when the words " Talented Scholar Ye " reached his ears, he slowed down the pace of his bowl.
" Talented Scholar Ye?"
The waiter next to him said:
"He's from Jizhou. He lost a poetry contest, but he's good with his fists."
Chu Tianxing scoffed.
"Scholars who switch to martial arts often suffer from digestive problems."
He said he wouldn't go, but his feet had already reached the entrance of the shed.
Ye Qingyun had just stepped onto the stage in front of the Dragon Abyss Martial Arts School.
Today we tested the equipment.
He concealed his left hand in his sleeve and gripped a wooden stick in his right.
Sun Kui looked at him.
" Ye Qingyun, extend your left hand."
Ye Qingyun frowned.
"No need."
Liu Laosan said:
"As per the rule, your hands must be checked before testing the equipment."
Shuhe said urgently:
"My young master broke a stake yesterday, and now he's being investigated again?"
The crowd began to discuss it.
"Look at your hands, what's wrong with that?"
Didn't we win yesterday?
" Young Master Ye, we're not afraid! Let's show him!"
Ye Qingyun's expression darkened further upon hearing these words.
He extended his left hand from his sleeve.
The fingers can move.
It's just slow.
Just as Sun Kui was about to speak, a lazy voice came from the back of the crowd.
"Stop investigating."
Everyone turned around.
Chu Tianxing carrying a medicine box, with half a steamed bun still in his mouth.
He raised his chin and pointed to Ye Qingyun's left arm.
"This person is so angry he's in his shoulders and neck, blood isn't flowing to his wrists, and his left hand is already numb."
The surroundings suddenly became much quieter.
Ye Qingyun looked at him.
"Who are you?"
Chu Tianxing patted the medicine box.
"The miracle doctor charges five coins per consultation, fair and honest to all, young and old."
Ye Qingyun stared at him.
"I'm not sick."
Chu Tianxing took two steps forward, his nose twitching slightly.
"The taste of blood is stuck in your throat; did you swallow it back last night?"
Shuhe's expression changed.
Ye Qingyun tightened his grip on the stick.
Chu Tianxing raised his hand and pointed to his waist.
"Besides."
"Your body heat is out of control."
Ye Qingyun spoke, enunciating each word clearly.
"Don't you dare talk nonsense again."
Chu Tianxing put the medicine box on the ground.
"If you say that again, it won't be five coins anymore."
He looked at Ye Qingyun and held up one finger.
"Your condition will cost extra."